Cook Local, Eat Global

I just wanted to warn my regular readers that if my posting becomes slow or erratic over the next several weeks, it is because I am having some health problems that may require surgery.

For the past week, I have been having chronic sharp pains in the upper right quadrant of my abdomen and in the center of my back and under my right shoulder blade. Yesterday, I finally went to an urgent care facility because my regular GP couldn’t see me until this coming Monday, and the doctor is pretty certain that I have gallstones. I had several x-rays and some bloodwork to confirm the diagnosis at the hospital last night.

After I talk with the doctor on Monday, he is probably going to refer me to the surgeon, and we’ll go from there. I will probably be able to have the gallbladder removed through laproscopic surgery, which means tiny incisions and quicker healing. If there is a complication, then it is the old fashioned, big incision surgery for me and a long post-op healing period.

I went to my regular doctor this morning, and brought along the report from the x-rays and the blood work. The x-rays came back all normal; no gallstones showed up, no swellings in the organs, nothing out of the ordinary. Of course, both my regular doctor and the Express care doctor I saw on Friday (and whom I spoke with this morning) said that an ultrasound was called for, because the symptoms show a classic case of gallstones.

My blood work is fine–no raised white cell count, no signs of infection and the liver function is coming back normal. That is great news.

So, now I have an appointment for an ultrasound on the 9th of October and an appointment with the surgeon on the 11th.

In the meantime, on Wednesday, we are going to Baltimore so Kat and Zak’s Grandpa, who is in his nineties, can visit. He saw her when she was a few months old, but hasn’t since then, and we wanted to make certain he got to see her before heading back to Florida for the winter. We had already planned this trip when the gallbladder started to act up.

So, I will take care to eat low-fat food and just trust that all will be well.

28 Comments

My very best wishes for no complications – including the diagnosis! I had the laparoscopic removal in July of ’01. I was permitted to go home that day, and was able to resume driving (because of no heavy duty pain-killers) by the end of the week.

My wife just went thru the operation & back up to speed after 6 weeks. Even the laparoscopic is 5 stab wounds so take it easy & let things heal. Up side is she lost 20 lbs & I’m really gung ho on low fat recipes.

I’m feeling better–a couple of days of low-fat, no meat seems to have chilled out the pain. The one dose of demerol I took probably helped, too. I’m still a little sore, but none of the insistent sort of stabby kinds of pains anymore. Just sore.

Thanks for the good vibes, kind words and wishes and prayers and all of that wonderful stuff. You guys are the best.

Aileen–I will be thinking of you. I don’t know when mine will be, but I am getting rid of this mess–I cannot imagine either going through it again or becoming a low-fat vegan sort. I’d have to give up cheese. Meat, yeah, I can probably give that up, but cheese? No way.

I read the first part of your symptoms and thought gallbladder immediately. I had mine out about two years ago, but I was admitted for surgery straight from the ER on Christmas morning, so I didn’t go through the diet modifications prior. With your skills and natural tendency toward healthy food, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch for you. The lap. procedure was quick and (relatively) painless and I was back to work a week after and back to 100% after about 3. Good luck and hope you feel better soon.

I wish you the best! My mother had to have hers removed earlier this year and now she can’t really eat anything with too much fat without having a bad case of the runs, to put it delicately. Doctor said that’s normal, so, that might be something to keep in mind even after you have your surgery.
Hope you see you well again soon!

My mother had gallbladder problems. She refused surgery – that gallbladder was hers and she was going to keep it come hell or high water. No one was going to deprive her of it. She found an old formula that helped her. She mixed lemon juice and olive oil and would sip on that all day. By the time she had passed away at the age of 92 she had lived 45 years after her gallbladder problem had been diagnosed. Whenever she felt a problem coming she got out the lemon juice and olive oil.

Personally, I would have had it taken out and be done with it. Hope you have a speedy recovery.

I realize that the fats are bothering you now. I had my mother adapt this b/c she too was facing removal of her gall bladder. getting rid of all veggie oils (cept real olive oil from cali) margarine spreads/low fat dairy and replacing them with butter/lard/tallow/whole grassfed milk reversed her pain and her stones dissolved.

Barbara-whether you cook the most fantastic recipes and share them with us or share you trials and triumphs, I think we all just love checking in on your blog- you are such a lovely lady along with your daughters, husband, cats and hometown,GA.
Eagle, ID wishes you lots of good thoughts and prayers-I think it really works!
Keep us updated!
Peggy